From Publishers Weekly
"Brisk packing, affectionate humor and an unforgettable heroine distinguish this first novel, set in 1916 Indiana," said PW in a starred review. An eight-year-old girl struggles to be the young lady everyone expects her to be in a houseful of boys. Ages 7-12. (Oct.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Grade 3-5?Eight-year-old Ruthie hates being an "only" as in the only girl in the middle of six brothers and the only third-grade student in her one-room schoolhouse. Too impulsive to act in the ladylike manner that would make her mother proud, Ruthie pines for a china doll from the Sears Roebuck catalog. She feels certain that just owning such a doll would confer the female graces upon her. Changes both good and bad are on the horizon. Twin girls move to the farm just down the road and suddenly Ruthie has friends and fellow classmates. The shadows of World War I threaten her older brother, Joe. Even though he is only 15, he knows that war can reach out and pluck him off the farm. Each of the brothers has a sharply drawn personality, but it is Ruthie who will grab readers looking for a fictional friend. She is a homespun young heroine akin to other great girls lacking refinement: Jo March and Anne Shirley. Shorter than Laura Ingalls Wilder's "Little House" books, this title is just the ticket for readers crossing the bridge to chapter books or for adults looking for a good read-aloud choice. Cajole readers to try this in lieu of the "American Girls" series. Also recommend Magdalen Nabb's "Josie Smith," a heartwarming British series written at the same reading level featuring a spirited girl who is short on money but long on love for the mother she sometimes disappoints.?Marilyn Payne Phillips, University City Public Library, MO
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
